Failing
by hungerhoney
Summary: Eleanor has a problem and Jasper is the only one who sees it. Some depressing stuff going on in this one.
1. Chapter 1

**No Copyright infringement intended, the characters belong to The Royals on E! but the story is my own.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated.**

 **(Alternating points of view)**

Eleanor stood in her closet staring at herself in the full length mirror. She had been there for 15 minutes, just looking at her nearly naked body. This was her morning routine, wake up, weigh herself, and then stare at her body in the mirror, scrutinizing every ounce of fat. She pinched her stomach and hips, groaning inwardly. A knock at the bedroom door made her jump. She had somewhere to be, somewhere important, and feeling fat was not an acceptable excuse.

* * *

He had been standing in the corner of the elaborate dining room with the other guards while the family dined. While the other guards stood rigid and disinterested, Jasper couldn't help but watch her. Seated near the end of the table, her mother to her left, Eleanor toyed with her food. He doubted that anyone else even noticed how she would cut her food up into miniscule bites, often spending half the meal time just cutting and arranging the food on her plate. Rarely taking a bite. The conversation drifted from topic to topic, before settling on dessert choices for the upcoming gala. The Queen wanted something exotic and opulent. Glancing back to Eleanor, Jasper could see the colour had drained from her thin face.

* * *

She noisily pushed her chair back and stood up, discreetly grabbing the back of Penelope's chair. The room spun violently and she was seeing stars. But the thought of enduring another conversation about food while being forced to sit at the table was entirely too much. "If you'll excuse me..." she began, before bolting from the room. She didn't stop to see if he followed her, she already knew he would. Her hands were shaking as she pushed open her bedroom doors and moved to sit in one of the wing-back chairs. She was freezing. Her dress barely covering her arms and legs. She leaned her head back against the plush fabric, closing her tired eyes.

* * *

She nearly sprinted from the room, and Jasper had to jog to catch up with her. As he entered her room, he was struck by how tiny she looked sitting in the chair. Had she always looked so small? "Are you alright, Len?" Jasper stepped closer, sitting down on the small table in front of her. She opened her eyes to look at him. Her beautiful green eyes had lost all their glimmer and life. The dull, dead eyes that looked back at him nearly broke his heart. He reached a hand out to brush away a stray hair from her face. "Jesus, you're ice cold," Jasper began before standing up and holding out his arms, "come here."

* * *

Eleanor let out a deep sigh and pushed herself up from the chair. She was so exhausted, there was nothing left in her body, nothing left to give her energy or life. But as she got to her feet, the room spun once more. She instinctively grabbed for something to steady herself, her hands finding purchase on Jaspers coat lapels. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her toward him. His body heat instantly hit her. The need to be warm was overwhelming, so she didn't stop herself from nuzzling into him.

* * *

"Why don't you put on something a bit warmer and I'll see if I can get you warmed up." Her skin was like ice. It broke his heart every time he saw her like this. The stress of her world was destroying her and he struggled to find and amplify the moments that made it better, made her happy. Eleanor pulled away, slowly and went to change. Jasper removed his suit coat and tie, dropping both on the now vacant chair. He slipped off his shoes and went to the luxurious bed. The room was warm, Eleanor had asked the staff to keep a fire burning in her hearth to ward off the impending autumn chill. Slipping into the satin sheets, Jasper could hear the water running in the bathroom. The water continued to run and the faint sound, coupled with the cloud-like mattress, nearly lulled him to sleep. Jasper shook himself away as she emerged. "I have the bed all warm for you. Come, you need some sleep." Her sweatpants hung off her hips and the long-sleeved shirt she wore, one he distinctly remembered her wearing out a few weeks before, now sagged off her thin shoulder and hung loose around her waist. Her makeup was smudged under her eyes, making them appear more sunken.

* * *

He was entirely too warm to be human. She marveled at how a body could produce so much warmth. He had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back closer to his chest, and she could feel his warm breath in her hair. The blankets would not have been enough. Her throat was raw. Her stomach was cramping. She was shivering, despite his touch. As Jasper's hands slid down her torso, fears and nagging thoughts crept into her mind. "What if he can feel my fat, what if he is disgusted by me, what it, what if." Her mind slowly came to a stop as sleep finally pulled her withering body under.

* * *

He knew she was asleep; he could see the stress leave her body as she settled into sleep. His hand slid to her hip, his thumb caressing the protruding bone there. Her stomach was concave, the skin stretched tightly over her organs and bones. His mind wandered to their last night together, how frail her body looked, how he worried he might hurt her. He remembered every divet, every bone, he had kissed and teased each one, driving her over the edge more than once. Only two nights before, she had been moving beneath him, now she was barely able to hold her head up. The reasons made his heart clench. He drifted off listening to her slow breaths and the sound of the fire crackling across the room.

When he woke to her shivering some hours later, he pulled her closer, turning her so she faced him. She tucked her arms into her chest and rested her head against his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

***One Week Later***

The Queen had requested Eleanor's presence in her office. Eleanor's hands had been shaking uncontrollably when Jasper told her. She looked up at him and the sadness in her eyes melted his heart. "It's ok, baby, you are stronger than she is. I'll be right outside the door." He swore he could see the tears forming behind her green eyes.

Eleanor had no idea why the Queen wanted to see her, but it was never anything good. Her mind raced through every second of the past three days. Had she gotten blackout drunk? Had she made some horrible scene at a club? Did she crash a car or set something on fire? She didn't remember doing anything that bad, that "news-worthy." But then, she also knew that her binges left her with little or no memory. So when she stopped outside the Queen's door and took a deep breath, she plastered on her "fuck off" face and held her head high.

Jasper marvelled at how she could change personalities so quickly. He enjoyed the true Eleanor. She was kind and fragile. Jasper was just able to hear the Queen's voice. He tried not to listen, but when he heard her say "I wanted to tell you how pleased I am darling," Jasper knew nothing good would come of this.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, the Queen, her bitch of a mother, was actually going to praise her. Eleanor stuck her hands into the back pockets of her leather pants, holding them up. The pants now hung so loose that a gap had formed between her stomach and the front of the pants. Her purple cropped top stopped just below her ribs. The chill of the room put goosebumps on her exposed skin. "I'm pleased to see that you have decided to finally get in shape, Eleanor. You'll be the talk of fashion week next year. The designer's love creating for a lean body. And when you look good, the Monarchy looks good." Her mother was telling her how proud she was and Eleanor wanted to vomit. The room began to spin. She was stunned into silence, lowering her head and mumbling a thank you.

Jasper couldn't believe what he just heard. He turned and reached for the door knob, prepared to lay some truths before the Queen, but the door opened and Eleanor slipped out. Slowly closing the door behind her. She stopped, head down and shoulder's hunched. "Eleanor?" She looked up at him, trying desperately to hold back the tears. Her face was ghostly pale, her usually red lips were a faint pink. "Come here, baby," Jasper held out his arms and pulled her in.

Before she realized what he was doing, Jasper had picked her up and was carrying her back to her room. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in his warm scent. She was exhausted from holding back the tears.

"What she said is not fair to you, and it's not true." He had put her down on her bed, sliding her up to the headboard. Sitting in front of her, he looked into her eyes, she was on the verge of tears. He reached up to brush the hair from her eyes. "It's ok if you cry Eleanor, the things she said to you should never have even been thought. You don't need to be so guarded around me. I'm not going to hurt you, ever again. I'm certainly not going to stand by and watch that woman destroy the one person I actually care about."

His words shocked her, the thought of another human being caring about her, about her wellbeing, was a new concept. Her father and brothers had cared, of course, but none had been able to protect her from the emotional abuse of her mother. When she was a child, she had cried to friends, begging for someone to listen and help. The things she said fell on deaf ears. Eventually, she stopped trusting anyone, stopped telling the people in her life about what she was experiencing. She learned to rely on herself. But now Jasper was here and he was telling her he would protect her. Without warning, the tears flowed from her tired eyes, creating little black rivers down her cheeks. Embarrassed, Eleanor quickly turned away, hiding her face from him.

His heart was breaking, seeing her, his beautiful strong princess, vulnerable. She was looking at him when the tears started, quickly turning away. Jasper reached up and gently took her chin, turning her to face him. "Eleanor, look at me," slowly she raised her eyes to his, "you are already beautiful, inside and out. You are stronger than she is and it threatens her. Now come here." He pulled her into his chest and held her while the sobs wracked her fragile body. Eventually tiring her enough for sleep the pull her under. Jasper tucked her into bed and climbed in beside her, holding her while she rested.

***Later that Night***

Jasper had been absolutely furious that the Queen had praised her daughter for losing weight. Could she not see that Eleanor was dying. Her body had nothing left to give. He was, again, standing in the dining room corner watching Eleanor slice her cauliflower into paper-thin slivers. Much to his pleasure, she ate the entire serving. She left the meat and rice untouched. Four glasses of water later, Eleanor asked to be excused. Clutching her stomach, she slowly walked from the room.

She managed to eat, and now she was paying the consequences. Her stomach was filled with pressure and intense pain. It burned, making her double over. Breathing hard, Eleanor fought through the pain. Her mother's words replayed in her mind, among other things. She knew the pain was because she had screwed up, again. If she had just skipped dinner, she wouldn't be battling the urge to throw up. Eleanor went straight to the bathroom, closing and locking the door. She turned on the fan and the sink faucet. Lifting the lid and staring into the bowl, the dark thoughts came back. "God, you are such a fat ass." "Look at how big your thighs are." "You are so stupid, you honestly think all those beautiful, skinny girls eat as much as you?" "You want to be that gorgeous and then you go and eat, what's wrong with you?" Her throat was burning.

Jasper knew she didn't want him to hear her, and he did have to strain to hear her. He remembered the first time he had heard her throwing up in the bathroom. Eleanor had just eaten the better half of a pizza, a rarity in the castle. Something Ophelia had brought Eleanor, late night cravings, of course. She disappeared not long after and Jasper grew concerned. Pressing his ear to the door, thinking she may have overdosed, he heard the faint sound of her retching and he knew immediately what was happening. When she came out, he asked her if she was alright, Eleanor smiled and said "I'm fine." But that didn't happen this time. The door didn't open, the water didn't turn off. The toilet didn't even flush. Instead, he heard the unmistakable, albeit subtle, sound of her body colliding with the floor.

Eleanor looked up to see Jasper kneeling over her. "Why are you in my bathroom?" "You fainted." "I did not, now get out," Eleanor practically screamed. "Len, just let me help you, please." Why wouldn't he just leave her be? All she wanted was to be beautiful, why couldn't he see that? Eleanor picked herself up off the bathroom floor, pausing for a moment as the room spun and stars ran past her eyes. She flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and walked away.

Jasper had nearly ripped the door from the hinges. She was laying on the floor, cold and pale, not breathing. He had immediately checked for a pulse. Finding one, he turned her on her side. Moments later, she had opened her eyes. Jasper released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. She had come back to him. And just as quickly, she had pushed him away. Jasper stood and followed her into the bedroom. She was standing by the window smoking a joint. Jasper knew it was best not to push the situation. Push her too hard and she will build taller, thicker walls. Somehow, he needed to show her how beautiful she was. Stepping up behind her, Jasper slid one hand around her waist, breathing in her delicious scent. With his other hand, he moved her hair, exposing her pale neck.

His lips found that spot on her neck, just below her ear. Shivers ran along her spine, and for once it had nothing to do with how cold she was and everything to do with the way Jasper could make her feel like nothing else mattered in the world.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

She was pacing in her room, mumbling to herself and gesturing frantically. He had peeked in a few times, hoping to see she had calmed down. He had no idea why she was upset, as far as he had witnessed, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred at breakfast. Yet her she was, wearing down the carpet across her room.

She was shaking, it kept telling her how worthless she was, how stupid. It screamed about her biggest fears. Telling her he would never want her, she was a cow, uglier than Donald Trump. It told her she was a fool for even entertaining the idea that a man could ever love her. No one would ever want to fuck her, knowing how fat was under her t shirt. So she paced her room. Back and forth while it belittled her further. It only started because she had a slice of dry toast for breakfast. She never ate breakfast. That first bite of anything in the morning would leave her wanting food all day; so she skipped breakfast and usually lunch, saving any calories she might eat for when she was forced to attend dinner with her family. Everyone seated at the breakfast table, however, she was trapped. Her stomach had been growling for hours, it drew her from a sound sleep, tangled with Jasper. So when she was given a slice of toast, she accepted. Her hands shook terribly, and she'd barely tasted the bread. Her stomach locked up in a cramp almost immediately. And now here she was 3 hours later, back and forth in her room while it reprimanded her for eating when she knew she gained a pound. Eleanor snapped. She had heard the story a million times and understood fully. So she screamed back at it, told it she understood, she knew. Told it that it was right, no man would ever love her. And it stopped. It stopped and silence filled her head. She stopped walking, her hands dropped to her sides, she took a deep breath and relaxed. It had been ages since her brain was this quiet for more than 30 seconds.

After a few minutes, Jasper realized the room was quiet. He could no longer hear her footsteps or her mumbling. Poking his head around the door, he saw Eleanor standing in front of her mirror, wearing the most revealing dress he had laid eyes on. Her ribs and spine stuck out of the black backless dress. He stepped into the room, relieved that she was calm. Stepping up behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist, Jasper asked "Are you alright?" Still looking at herself in the mirror, Eleanor smiled and said "I'm fine. Now let's get this gala over with."

Her mother's charity gala was today. Eleanor was supposed to smile and be charming, talk to all the important people, and most importantly, "behave herself." Her brain had quieted enough for her to bury the sadness and hunger deep inside. She had relaxed. Finding the dress she had picked out especially for the event, Eleanor dressed and fixed her hair. Jasper came up behind her, she felt his strong arms wrap around her. The voice piped up again, "he can feel your fat, he thinks you're disgusting." She swallowed hard, trying not to burst into tears. Pulling from his arms, Eleanor went into her closet. She grabbed the pill bottle from inside a pair of thigh-high boots, popped open the lid and dumped 6 diet pills in her still-shaking hand. She swallowed them dry and returned the bottle to it's hiding place. Taking a deep breath, she walked back to her room, pausing when she saw Jasper standing by her window. He turned when she came in and her breath caught. His tuxedo fit across his muscles in the most delicious way. Her eyes snapped to his hands, holding a newly wrapped joint. "I figured you would need this today," he held it out to her, "don't let her get to you, you deserve better than what the Queen gives you." She took the small thing from him and looked around for her lighter. She always lost her lighter.

He took it back from her, pulled his lighter from his pocket and lit the joint. He took a long drag before handing it to her. Jasper watched as she inhaled. She passed it back to him. Just enough to calm her nerves and settle his brain. He set the half smoked joint in her ashtray and led her toward the door. Stopping, he turned to her, "look at me, you are strong and beautiful, don't let her get to you." In the late morning light, Jasper thought her face was a bit more pale than usual. Her usually red lips were a faint pink. "Are you sure you feel alright, Princess?" She gave a slight nod. He didn't believe her, but if she wasn't going to talk to him, there was nothing he could do except wait for her to open up.

***The Gala***

Jasper stood at the edge of the ballroom, watching Eleanor drift from person to person, conversation to conversation. He could tell something was wrong. She was talking to the Prime Minister's wife, but glancing around, distracted. Jasper noticed her hands had stopped shaking. He headed toward her as her third glass of champagne slipped from her hand and shattered loudly on the marble floor. Her body crashed to the floor seconds later. He was beside her in seconds, checking for a heartbeat. Confused and frightened gasps sounded around him. He requests assistance immediately. Within minutes, the Royal Medical Team had arrived. Her lifeless body was taken and Jasper followed close behind. He overheard the Queen apologize to her guests and encourage everyone to return to their conversations. She never left the room. It sickened him to know that she could be that heartless.

She woke up in the ambulance, speeding toward the hospital. Jasper was sitting beside her, clutching her hand. She vaguely recalls the afternoon events. She had been exhausted, yet forced herself to behave and speak to the necessary guests. Too tired to fight her mother. While speaking with the Prime Minister's wife, she became increasingly dizzy and short of breath. She was freezing, goosebumps dotted her porcelain skin. All at once, everything went dark. Looking again at Jasper, she manages to speak though her throat is dry and hoarse, "where am I?" He looks up, startled. Her head is aching and her muscles feel like someone has run over. But his hands, wrapped around hers, is oddly comforting.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when she spoke. To be honest, Jasper wasn't sure she would wake up at all. Her face is hollow, dark circles line underneath her beautiful green eyes. "I thought I had lost you. Don't scare me like that, again." Her hands were like ice. He saw a shiver run across her body and reached for the blankets draped across her, pulling them up. He told her what had happened, leaving out the part about her mother. But Eleanor was smart, she picked up on the missing bits and asked him out-right. He tried to stall, change the subject, distract her. "Where is my whore of a mother?" It was no use, he had to tell her.

"I can see the headlines now, 'Party Princess ODs at Charity Gala, Disgraces Crown.' You know she will spin it to make me out to be some horrible creature...not that she's wrong." She mumbled the last bit, hoping he wouldn't hear her. She was wrong, of course. Jasper swept the hairs from her face, "Look at me, you have done nothing wrong. You didn't overdose because you haven't had anything except pot. I've been by your side for the past three days. You are not a horrible creature, you are sick." "I'm not sick. There is nothing wrong with me. I can stop this anytime I want." It was the same lie she had been telling herself for months now. Every time she got dizzy, lightheaded, nauseated, weak, she would tell herself she was still in control of this. And every time she managed to eat, she would tell herself she was faking, doing this for attention, she wasn't really sick.

His heart cracked watching her in the emergency department, in a private room of course. Nurses and doctors examined her, asking far too many questions. Her strength was gone and he could see her fading, desperate for sleep. But the questions continued. 'Have you taken any legal or illegal substances? Have you had any alcohol? When was the last time you ate?' She flinched at the last question, he did as well. He knew the answer, oh she had eaten some toast at breakfast, but he doubted she let it digest. Which of course would mean her last actual bit of food was about 4 days earlier, on a night when they had gotten stoned together. He smiled at the memory of her laughing while he struggled to make tacos in the palace kitchen. She had only eaten the tomatoes and some lettuce, but she ate something, at least. But that wasn't the answer she gave the doctor, insisting that she always ate three meals a day. The look on his face indicated he didn't believe her.

The doctor asked so many questions and her head was killing her, she was so tired. She wanted to be back in her room, wrapped up in Jasper's warm embrace. She knew the doctor didn't buy her story about eating, but she couldn't care less. She was fat and that needed to be dealt with. The nurse struggled to get the IV in her arm, and after repeatedly stabbing her, he decided to find someone else, much to Eleanor's relief. Finally alone in the room, she struggled to hold back the tears.

He could tell she was breaking and it killed him. She was such a beautiful woman, talented and witty, smart as fuck. But for a number of reasons, she was trapped in this vicious cycle, starving herself until she couldn't anymore, then eating; even tiny bits of healthy foods made her sick. He saw the panic in her eyes when she gave in. She would spend hours looking at herself, weighing and measuring. He watched her grow more and more weak, her body tiring after simple daily tasks. He struggled to keep from hurting her when they had sex. He heard her let out a whimper, barely audible. She was shivering. Dropping his tuxedo jacket on the foot of her bed, he slid in next to her, pulling her into his arms. She clung to his chest, burying her face in his neck. The tears poured from her all at once.

"I keep hoping I'll pass out so that someone will finally care enough to tell me its ok to stop, but it never comes." She forced the words out and wasn't sure he had heard her. "All my life, I heard how so and so was a pretty girl, how she must have guys lining up to go out with her. I heard over and over how beautiful my friends were. Not once has anyone ever told me I am beautiful. Oh sure, the lowlifes compliment me, hoping to get into my bed. But no one who ever mattered to me has told me I'm beautiful or even pretty. My father would always just say 'look at you,' when I came out wearing a nice dress. My bitch of mother would come out with some half-hearted compliment, 'don't you look nice.' Never anything to boost my confidence. I was never good enough for them. I wasn't smart enough, or well-mannered, I was never pretty enough. I had no control over anything in my life, and this is all I have left that is just mine." She let it all out for him, told him everything she had ever felt or thought. She told him every insecurity. He listened, though she continually expected him to leave or laugh at her. For some reason, he did neither. He held her close and tangled his fingers in her hair.

His eyes filled with tears as she spoke. Her mind was a dark and hopeless place, somewhere she had been trapped for far too long. Pulling back from her, he looked into her eyes, "I want to tell you something, and it has NOTHING to do with what you just said. Ok?" She nodded. "You are the most beautiful, amazing woman I have ever met. My life was missing something before you. You have the strongest, kindest heart and I envy that about you. I would have given up years ago. But you cannot keep doing this to yourself. I feel like I'm losing you and I don't think I would survive if that happened. You wanted a reason to stop, I'm giving it to you." He had planned to propose when they were alone in her bedroom, simple, nothing elaborate or showy. But this seemed like a perfect moment. Adjusting himself on the bed, he fished the tiny blue box from his trousers. He blushed as he handed it to her.

Eleanor stared at the box, she hadn't seen this coming, too wrapped up in herself. 'Selfish,' is what her mother had called her, 'too selfish to be in a relationship.' She opened the box and her jaw dropped, in place of a showy diamond, was a simple, hand carved wooden ring. She looked up at him, "you, you made this?" He nodded. She jumped as the door swung open to reveal the Queen. "Seriously, Eleanor? Pulling a stunt like this just to rope some poor commoner into proposing?"

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	4. Chapter 4

Eleanor's hands were shaking. Her mouth was suddenly very dry. Her mother stepped into the room and dismissed Jasper. Jasper gave her a kiss, tucking her hair behind her ear before he pulled away and went out to the hallway. With everyone else out of the room, the Queen immediately began reprimanding Eleanor for her "little stunt." "Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was. Honestly, if you can't keep it together, then I will have no choice but to send you away while you lose the rest of this weight. Look at you, you're a disgrace. The Monarchy does not need headlines about you and your drug-induced, anorexic problems. So get it together. I suggest you learn to excuse yourself before you cause anymore scenes. We do not 'air our dirty laundry' in this family. Now then, what did the scale show this morning?" Eleanor swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mother was standing at the foot of her bed, a cold glare on her face. Eleanor managed to squeak "40 Kilograms," dropping her eyes to look at her hands. The Queen rolled her eyes, "You can do better than that. I'll have the Head Chef prepare some special things for you. And don't think I didn't see you eat this morning. From now on, you will eat in your room, away from temptation. As for getting married, we both know you are too fat for a wedding dress." The door swung open seconds later and Liam stood there, a huge smile on his face.

Jasper couldn't hear what the Queen was saying, and she had effectively positioned herself between Eleanor and the door, making it impossible for him to see Eleanor's face. He was terrified for her, knowing the abuse the woman had bestowed upon Eleanor. He distracted himself by thinking about the huge smile she gave him when he handed her the ring. Jasper didn't think he could possibly be any happier, and he owed that entirely to Eleanor. The Prince and Marcus came around the corner, pulling Jasper from his thoughts. "How is she?" "She's resting, or she was until..." Jasper responded. "Did you ask her, yet?" Liam asked. "I did, but Her Majesty came in before I got an answer." Liam frowned, "well, I'm sure Leni is quite ready to be done with whatever conversation our Mother is conducting. Let's get an answer for you." Liam clapped Jasper on the back before he turned and pushed open the door.

"Are you getting married?" Liam asked, ignoring the tension in the room. Jasper piped up from behind him, "well she hasn't said yes, yet." "And she isn't going to either," snarled the Queen. "The Princess of England does not marry a commoner, let alone the help. So we can just brush that aside." She had been unable to speak, unable to fight her mother any longer. She saw Jasper's face fall. She loved him more than words could express, but she wasn't strong enough to fight her mother. Liam looked at her, he had always been her protector, though he was never quite able to protect her from their mother. "Mother, if Leni loves Jasper, and he loves her, then why shouldn't they marry? I think she deserves to be happy, don't you think?" The Queen snorted, "she is not marrying a bodyguard. I am not dealing with the image that would send to the public. And as for what she deserves, the only thing Eleanor deserves right now is to be locked in her room so she can't cause any more scenes." She watched as her mother and brother argued over whether or not she was allowed to marry the man she loved. The room grew darker, a headache pulsed at the base of her skull. She looked up, meeting Jasper's eyes as the room began to spin. Everything went dark.

His joy was crushed, stomped on and flattened, by the Queen. Liam argued for Eleanor, trying to convince their mother, but it was no use. She had no intention of allowing the marriage to take place. He could see the pain in Eleanor's eyes. And when she looked up at him, he noticed her face was ghostly pale, once more. Her fingers were gripping the blanket at her sides. Something was wrong. He tore his eyes from hers long enough to look at the monitor beside her bed. Her blood pressure was dropping. "Eleanor?" He had been quiet until then, all eyes turned to him when he spoke. Alarms began going off, and the medical team arrived moments later, clearing the room. His heart was breaking as her lifeless body was positioned on the bed to allow the team to work. She had stopped breathing, making it necessary for them to manually pump oxygen into her lungs. The lead doctor came out into the hallway to speak to them about her condition. He introduced himself, before suggesting they go into a private room. Liam grabbed Jasper's shoulder and indicated for him to follow, to which the Queen protested, loudly. "Doctor, this is Jasper Frost, Leni's bodyguard and fiancee. I think he needs to hear whatever you have to say." "That may be best, I'm guessing you spend the most time with her, and you should be aware of her habits. Now, after running some tests and looking at her vitals, I need to ask a serious question, one that Mr. Frost may know the answer to. Is it possible that Princess Eleanor could have an eating disorder?" The doctor looked from face to face, only Liam seemed surprised by this question. "Nothing the family doctor has diagnosed," answered Jasper. "But there are signs?" asked the doctor. "There is nothing wrong with the Princess that can't be cured by losing a little weight," replied the Queen, obviously frustrated. "Mother!" "With all do respect, Your Majesty, Princess Eleanor is severely underweight and malnourished. If she loses any more weight, she could slip into a coma." The Queen rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. "No one wants a fat princess, and besides, she was getting chubby." Liam looked from the doctor to his mother and back. "Excuse me but I'm still stuck on the notion that my sister could have an eating disorder. Can we go back to that please." Jasper cleared his throat, "not 'could,' she does." The doctor made eye contact with Jasper, "I thought so. When she is up to it, we will need to discuss the options with her." Jasper kept his eyes focused on the doctor, "she doesn't want to get better." "And that's something we will need to discuss," replied the doctor. Liam was pacing, attempting to digest the news.

The room was dark and empty when she woke up. Her head was pounding. 'Why are you doing this to yourself, Eleanor?' her mind asked. But before she had a chance to reason with herself, the darker voice chimed in, 'you are doing this because you are worthless, fat, and stupid. No one wants a fat princess. In fact, you are such a screw up that no one wants a princess at all.' The daily thoughts running through her mind terrified her sometimes. Tears welled up in her eyes; she was grateful to be alone. She hated when anyone saw her cry, even Jasper. Tearing down the walls enough to allow someone to see that side of her, the very thought of it made her stomach churn. She hastily wiped her cheeks as the door to her room opened and the doctor, followed by Jasper, entered the room. Nothing good would come of this.


End file.
